Marriott Rescue Ship Strands Dozens in Hurricane’s Path

Just after Hurricane Irma hit, hundreds of tourists were left stranded in St. Thomas with little food remaining, minimal electricity, and a devastated airport prohibiting them from leaving. Those stranded braced for more wreckage, as Hurricane Jose approached.

Thankfully, a ship that could easily fit all of the survivors approached St. Thomas’ dock just in the nick of time. Unfortunately, only some of the survivors would be rescued.

The rescue boat was chartered by the Marriott hotel chain. Apparently, rescuers were instructed by officials to only pick up registered guests of hotels belonging to the Marriott hotel chain. Three dozen people not registered at Marriott hotels were left in St. Thomas to fight the next hurricane without aid. Families with kids and elderly people were among those left behind.

Please sign this petition demanding that Marriott apologize for this despicable decision and donate to help rebuild underserved areas in the Caribbean that need the most help.

According to reports, the boat rescuers reached out to higher officials, but the company didn’t want to worry about the liability of picking up anyone besides guests of the hotel chain. However, many left behind felt that class-based discrimination also played a role, and that those who couldn’t afford the lavish amenities offered by Marriott were left behind.

Regardless of the reason, there’s no excuse for Marriott’s decision. There was plenty of room on the boat for everyone. The risk of leaving people behind without food or shelter as a second hurricane approached far outweighed the risk to Marriott of rescuing everyone.

Marriott must make this right. Please join in demanding that the company apologize for its irresponsible decision and donate money to help rebuild parts of the Caribbean that need the most help.